Disclaimer: At the time of writing, I work at Macpac so get discounted product. That helps. But I don’t care if you buy the mat or not. But yes, I am an affiliate through Chur New Zealand so I may receive a smidgen of commission if you buy anything through the links in this post. It doesn’t cost you extra.
If you’re on the newer end to hiking and start looking into sleeping mats, the range of prices is pretty crazy.
In late 2024, Macpac released a solid ultralight sleeping mat, the Macpac Thermair Ultralight Sleeping Mat.
This gives an idea of the size of the mat rolled up vs a 330ml can. You can compress it more than this when you put it in your pack.
It’s comparable to many of the leading brands we are used to hearing in the sleeping mat realm in terms of stats, but the price point is pretty friendly.
Where to buy:
- On the NZ Macpac website, or here on the Aussie website.
- In stores. If you don’t see it available online, you could visit the stores, and ask if there are any left in stock at all (there might be a few left).
- They’ve also released a longer/wider/heavier, rectangular version.
I’ll stick to reviewing the regular version here as it’s what I use.
I missed out on the first batch that sold out in NZ pretty quickly. So once they came back instore, I was ready to grab one…even more so as the the autumn weather at the time made sleeping on my thin mat a bit more of a daunting prospect each time.
Here’s my review, detailing the specs, features, what I like and dislike about the mat.
MACPAC THERMAIR ULTRALIGHT SLEEPING MAT SPECS & FEATURES
- R-value: 4.2
- Weight 540 grams
- Inflating size: 185 x 53 x 8 cm
- Packed Size: 24 x 12 cm
- Two-way inflation valve
- Two insulating aluminium film layers to reduce heat loss
- Tappered shape
- Horizontal baffles
- Stuff Sack included
- Main Fabric: 100% Nylon Ripstop (20D) with TPU Coating
And noone has ever told me that the mat is noisy when I shift about at night.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE MAT
The price.
At the time of writing, the standard Macpac Member’s Price (membership is free) is $179.99. That said, you can often get a better deal in the $150 – 160 range…and very occcassionly, 40% off bring it to a little under $150. I feel like anything under the $200 price point for a sleeping mat with the above specs and quality is a great deal.
The colour.
It’s a nice bright red, or as it’s called by Macpac via the Pantone colour chart, Cherry Tomato.
Pro tip: If you’re looking for more of an idea on what colour things are at Macpac online, search for the colour on Pantone.com.
The 8cm thickness on display
8cm thick.
Alright, so I didn’t use sleeping mats for a couple of years. I’ve been a reasonably fair weather hiker, and am comfortable sleeping well on solid surfaces. But, I think I was being stubborn. Being 8cm off the ground does make sleep a bit more comfy. Don’t tell anyone I said that.
Easy to pack away.
When I’m putting the mat away, I don’t like the idea of faffing about trying to squeeze mats in a bag…where it won’t fit unless every single spot of air needs to be out of it until it fits. There’s no issues here, which makes life easy. Especially on cold mornings where the hands aren’t always fully functional.
The size.
I’m 172cm tall, and have never been bothered about the length of the 185cm mat. I do use a pillow and while it slides off occassionally when I’m settling in for the night, once my pillow is there it tends to stay. At 53cm in width, it’s on the narrower side which for me is alright. If you tend to roll about in your sleep, it might not be ideal.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE MAT
Need to ensure the valves are fully locked in.
A couple of times I’ve woken up with the mat deflated. That’s because the double valve system hasn’t been totally closed. It’s one of those things that I don’t know how it happens, but I just take a couple of seconds now before going to sleep that it’s fully closed.
You can see in the top half of the photo above how it isn’t sitting flush. When my partner borrowed the mat one night, I should have told her this. Whoops.
Slip slidey.
If I set up my tent on a slight hill, I quickly find myself and the mat sliding towards the edge of the tent. It doesn’t bother me too much, but it’s certainly not ideal…and probably not good for the tent long term!
Small stuff sack.
The stuff sack isn’t super large. Somehow I have what looks like a couple of burn holes in the sack (I don’t know how), so it makes it a little inconvenient. The stuff sack is pretty standard relative to the likes of STS who have a similar blow up method, but it is tedious.
Macpac does have a motorised air pump you can get, but I’ll stick to using the stuff sack. It’s takes me about 3 minutes to blow it up.
MACPAC SLEEPING MAT COMPETITORS
If you’re looking for competitors that are similar, you could consider:
- Apex Insulated Sleeping Pad by Zorali
- Ultralight Sleeping Pad by Sea To Summit
- Zenter Insulated Air Mat by Kathmandu
- Aeris R4.5 by Bush Buck
- Klymit Sleeping Mat Static V Inflatable Sleeping Pad by Klymit
And there you go, my review of the Macpac Thermair Ultralight Sleeping Mat after a year or so of use in NZ and overseas.
Got questions or comments? Leave a comment below, or email jub@churnewzealand.com and I’ll get back to you. Chur.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.